Fad dieting; it is a crime that we have all been a culprit of at one time or another! Maybe we wanted to fit into that dress for a special occasion, or those jeans we wore seven years ago. Maybe bikini season was approaching way too quickly. Or maybe.we were just plain lazy and wanted the quick fix! After all, eating well and exercising might be too easy! Fad diets are everywhere, and you can't turn on the television or internet without getting bombarded with ads for the next miracle weight loss device. Hollywood is constantly introducing us to the new trendy gimmick that will transform us into a celebrity. And although a fad diet might seem like a good idea in the beginning of our race to get thin, they don't provide the substance to take us to the finish line. While we might appear to be getting a tiny waist, the only thing shrinking is our wallets and energy levels. Talk about a waste!

Let's start by examining some of the current fad diets on the market. There's the ever famous diets like Adkins, that favors fat over carbs, and Slimfast, where two meals are replaced by nutritious milkshakes. Then there are the ones that provide calorie controlled meals like Jenny Craig and NutriSystem. What about the ones that focus on one particular food like the cabbage soup or grapefruit diet. Don't forget the quick crash diets like the 3 day diet, or the master detox that requires sole consumption of a mixture of lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup. (can we say, "yuck!") These diets all contain one similar ingredient: starvation! Anytime you juristically reduce calories or knock out an entire food group, you're going to instantly drop weight. Duh! But the thing that chronic fad dieters don't realize is that these immediate results don't promote long term weight control. It is virtually impossible to stay on a fad diet forever; even the most disciplined human on the planet couldn't restrict themselves to cabbage soup for eternity. And that decreasing number on the scale is a result of water and/or muscle loss, not permanent fat loss. Also, our bodies hate rapid weight loss, and it's only recommended that we lose a pound or two a week. Therefore, the second normal eating routines are reestablished, the weight will come back faster than a deer running from headlights. Also, the eliminations in these plans deprive the body of vial nutrients. Unless you live under a rock, you know that your body requires vitamins from each food group on a daily basis. If you must engage in an intense regimen, your health begs you to do so for a very short period of time. These diets are not designed for long-term use, and the more time you torture yourself with one of these trends, the more damage that is done!

Some of the "quick fix" diet supplements are so unsafe they can lead to serious health conditions and even.DEATH. Let's look at some of these damaging dangers: there's Ephedra or ephedrine based products that release stored body fat by stimulating and speeding up the metabolism. Well, these energy donors also "sped up" their customer's need to visit the doctor, promoting conditions such as hypertension, heart attacks, seizures, and stokes. What about Fen-Phen, the lethal combination of fenfluramine and phentermine. The marriage of these two drugs results in fatal heart valve damage and pulmonary hypertension. (talk about a messy divorce) Fenfluramine also performs alone (sold as Pondimin), acting as an appetite suppressant determined to trick the stomach into feeling full. This drug, along with the ones listed above, might be able to perform tricks on the body, but they couldn't fool the FDA and were all recently taken off the market. Think about it; popping a pill and waking up thin and healthy? If it sounds too good to be true than...exactly!

Instead of spending unnecessary money, making your taste buds cry, and angering your metabolism, take the road less traveled that will lead you to guaranteed success. The only way to maintain a healthy body and weight is to develop beneficial habits that will last a lifetime. And these are.yep, you guessed them: eating well and exercising. It's amazing how two simple instructions can be so hard to follow. And don't develop healthy habits for a few weeks then give up because you don't see immediate results; it is virtually impossible to get that "Hollywood" body in such a short period! So how did Renee Zellweger drop weight so quickly after playing the role of the adoring and buxom Bridget Jones? Celebrities frequently engage in intense fitness and nutrition regimens, where they place their entire focus for a given amount of time. They work out and count calories as if it were their job, because, well.it basically is. If we had all the time and money in the world to invest on our bodies, then we could look like that too. But, back to reality.once you stick to a stable schedule and disallow yourself to quit, your body will quickly adjust. The trick is to find healthful foods and aerobic activities that you enjoy; this will keep your commitment level high. Before you know it you'll be craving a grilled vegetable sandwich on whole wheat (with hummus instead of mayo) and looking forward to that morning kickboxing class. Most importantly, you'll be rewarding your body instead of punishing it with a fad diet. There is a reason that trends die young; remember that fads are temporary and that your health is forever!